Daily Devotionals
Daily Devotional: Psalms 97:1-6
Ps 97:1-6
1 The LORD reigns, let the earth be glad; let the distant shores rejoice. 2 Clouds and thick darkness surround him; righteousness and justice are the foundation of his throne. 3 Fire goes before him and consumes his foes on every side. 4 His lightning lights up the world; the earth sees and trembles. 5 The mountains melt like wax before the LORD, before the Lord of all the earth. 6 The heavens proclaim his righteousness, and all the peoples see his glory.
1 Thess 5:8-11
8 But since we belong to the day, let us be self-controlled, putting on faith and love as a breastplate, and the hope of salvation as a helmet. 9 For God did not appoint us to suffer wrath but to receive salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ. 10 He died for us so that, whether we are awake or asleep, we may live together with him. 11 Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.
It is amazing to me how much time and effort is spent on things that we do not know and can never know. One fellow preacher spent every issue of his paper for over a year showing why another brother was wrong about what will happen in eternity. Both were convinced that they were right and both spent a great deal of energy teaching what they believed. One of them was very unkind in the way he presented his views and participated in a lot of name calling in the process.
The truth is that God is in charge of eternity and he alone can tell us what that means for us. We do not understand God and we do not understand his ways or what he has in store for those who love him. To be sure, he has promised a home with him, a home that is beyond our ability to comprehend both with beauty and with joy beyond expression! But our minds cannot grasp eternity or heaven.
All of the word pictures given to us of hell do not adequately tell us of the horrors or pain it entails. The worst of hell is the eternal death – eternal separation from God and from all his glory and goodness. The best of heaven is being with him and seeing Jesus in all his glory as we are transformed into his likeness. What a day that will be! Trust God, follow his word and live for him so heaven will be yours.
Heavenly Father I am thankful that you have revealed your word to us. Thank you for the promises you have given to me and to all who will faithfully serve you and live for you. Thank you for the hope and joy found in anticipating heaven and for the warnings you give in describing hell. Give me wisdom to understand all you want me to know and give me faith to accept what is beyond my comprehension. Lord be with our nation. Guide our elections and give us leaders at every level who will trust you and follow your will for us. I pray in Jesus name.
Robert
